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I can’t get Mariah out of my head, not even for an hour, and that’s a dangerous thing when you’re on a construction site. The guys had a real good laugh at me when I made a rookie mistake and damn near took my eye out with the nail gun. After that, I went into the trailer, pretending I had paperwork to do, and left the heavy work to them. I do some actual paperwork, just so I don’t feel like some lovesick pup, twiddling my thumbs while I think about a woman, but damn, what a woman she is.
My mind goes back to her tattoo again and again, and how I want to trace the outline of it. How I want to hear her sounds again as I make her come. But more than anything, how I just want to see her again. She had to cancel our date last Saturday, so it’s been a week since I saw her. Just as my mind starts delving into what we did the last time we were together, my phone rings. When I take it out of my pocket, I see it’s my mom calling.
“Hey, Mom,” I answer.
“Hey. What have you been up to?” Her always cheerful voice comes through the phone.
“Nothing much. Working on this apartment complex.”
“And your father tells me you have a girlfriend.”
“Subtle as ever Mom.” I chuckle. “Now I see why you called. And I told Dad I was going on a date. I didn’t say she was my girlfriend.”
“Oh, you kids. If you went on a date with someone when I was your age, you were dating. She was your girlfriend.”
“Well it doesn’t work that way now.”
“Girlfriend or not,” she says lower. “Your father is walking around here talking about if you guys get married on your one year anniversary, you could have a nice summer wedding.”
A laugh bellows out of me because I can picture it exactly how she’s explaining it.
For most people, it’s their mom who asks these questions, gets into their love lives; for me, no, it’s my dad. He treated every high school girlfriend he found out I had like she would be the love of my life, and he’s the one who constantly reminds me that he’s impatiently waiting for grandkids.
“And if I know you, you’re feeding right into it.” I chuckle.
“Of course. He’s a romantic to his core, and that’s always served me well, so I make sure to indulge it. So tell me, how did the date go?”
“It went great. We’ve been on two dates now actually.”
“I didn’t hear about any second date.” My dad’s voice cuts in.
I shake my head as a smile forms. “So sorry I didn’t keep you up to date, Dad. Yes, two dates. Hopefully another one soon.”
“So that must mean you really like her, right?” my mom inquires.
“Of course he does,” my dad is quick to state. “I taught him better than to lead someone on.”
“Maybe he can answer for himself.” My mom lightly chuckles.
“I do. More than I’ve liked anyone. She has a fighter’s spirit and is funny as hell.”
“Hmm, sounds like your mother on that one,” my dad says.
I can hear the smile in his voice. I’ve never seen my father be anything less than head over heels for my mom. His world revolves around her, and she eats it up.
I hear the doorbell ring in the background, and my mom begins to excuse herself, instructing us, “Don’t talk about anything good while I’m gone.”
But I take advantage of the brief moment of privacy anyway, asking my dad, “Did you think about Mom all the time when you first met her?”
“I still think about her all the time.” He laughs. “Even when we’re in the same room. But yeah, I did. It was how I knew she was a woman who I definitely needed to know more about.”
“Yup, that’s about right where I am.”
“Well Son, I’d say that’s all she wrote. The only question now is when are you bringing her to meet us?” he asks.
“We’re not quite there yet, Dad. Maybe I can go on a third date first.”
“Hurry up then. I’m not getting any younger over here.”
“Dad, you’re not even fifty,” I deadpan.
“Forty-eight is close enough. I feel oldness starting to creep into my bones.” He gives a fake groan.
“Yeah, I’ll believe that when you stop jogging five miles every morning.”
He laughs, and I savor the sound. There was a time when I gave my parents nothing to laugh about, so having the relationship we do now, despite all the suffering I’ve put them through, means a lot to me. It would’ve been easier for my parents to just let the streets have me, hard as I tried to stay in them, but they always fought for me, even when I’d stopped fighting for myself.
“I’m back. I’m back.” My mom huffs. “What did I miss?”
“Thanks, guys ,” I blurt out. “For always being there for me.”
“Of course,” my mom says softly, while my dad states, “It’s our job.”
“We’ll let you get back to work,” my mom tells me.
“You call that girl and tell her she’s on your mind. You can never go wrong with that.”
“Okay, Dad. Bye, guys.”
My dad has the romance thing down to a science, so I take his advice and text Mariah.
Me: Hey. Just wanted to let you know you’re on my mind.
I pocket it and leave the trailer, letting the guys know we’re done for today. My phone vibrates as I’m getting into my car.
Mariah: And just what are you thinking about?
Me: How I miss you and that beautiful smile. I wish I could trace the lines of your tattoo again. And about how you’re deep under my skin, and I don’t know exactly what that means just yet.
Mariah: I’d say it means we’re both developing feelings for each other, and I don’t know about you, but I like it.
Me: Oh, I definitely like it. How was your first day?
Mariah: Long, but good. The kids have so, so much energy.
Me: You have a favorite student yet?
Mariah: I plead the fifth. All I will say is one of the little boys gave me his apple from his lunchbox.
Me: Oh, no...do I have some competition?
Mariah: I’ll just say it wouldn’t hurt to throw a little fruit in with the next breakfast you make me.
Me: As long as we get another breakfast together, I’ll make you whatever you want.
Mariah: Good, because you’re the only one I want to have breakfast with... If you get what I’m saying. So, no, you don’t have any competition.
Me: Neither do you.
Mariah: Good to know.
Well, I guess that’s one way to say we’re not seeing other people. Even as simple as it was, I still feel a certain ease in my heart at knowing this woman is mine, only mine. Stopping at a red light a few blocks from my apartment, I hurry to type out a reply.
Me: I need to see you in your teacher outfits. I’ve got some wicked visions in my mind.
Mariah: Hmm, in my teacher outfit, or you want me bare and seeing my tattoo?
Me: Teacher outfit and then bare, that tattoo moving with our bodies.
Mariah: Well go ahead, lay the scene out for me, and I just might let it come true.
It’s a good thing I just stepped into my apartment because my dick is now straining against my jeans. I throw my bag and hard hat to the side of the door and kick my boots off before sitting on the couch.
Me: I slowly peel your nice, dressy clothes off, kissing every inch of skin as I expose it until you’re standing in front of me naked.
Mariah: So, I’m naked, nipples hard, pussy wet. What are you gonna do with me?
Holy shit, this woman.
Me: I undress too. My dick is way too hard to keep in my boxer briefs. Then I turn you around so I can see that tattoo while my dick slides through your wetness, hitting your clit every time I flex forward.
Mariah: I moan for you to give me more.
Me: I walk us over to the bed and bend you over the end of it, running my fingers over those wings, over the smooth skin of your back until they reach your hips and grab on there.
Mariah: Have I told you how much I love the feel of your hands on me? Your rough against my soft. The way your callouses scratch against me when you touch me.
Me: Now that I know, I will definitely have my hands on you even more.
Mariah: I’m bent over, your hands on my hips. Barely breathing as I wait for what you’ll do next.
I know what I want to do right now. I reach down to push my pants and boxer briefs down, freeing my dick and wrapping my hand around it. Giving it a few strokes, wetness already comes to the tip before my other hand types out the next message.
Me: I drop down to my knees behind you and grab your ass hard, tilting your hips up so I can get my first taste of you on my tongue. Just as I remember, it’s like heaven. I tease your opening before I slide my tongue inside, holding your body tight to my face.
Mariah: I circle my hips, trying to get even more of your tongue, chasing the high I know only you can give me.
Me: And I give it to you when I bring my finger to your clit and rub circles into it. My tongue thrusts into you fast and hard while my finger works you. I hear you gasp my name. The soft, sweet sound that’s etched into my brain from our last time together. Before you’re even done coming, I stand up and slam into you, looking down at that tattoo move as I pound into your tight pussy.
My hand tightens on myself as I wait for her reply. I close my eyes, imagining her warmth wrapped around me instead of my hand, remembering how good it felt to be inside of her. I jerk faster, a heavy sigh leaving me as Mariah’s message comes through.
Mariah: I can barely stand from my orgasm, but you hold me up with your hands on my hips, slamming my body back into yours. Your dick hits the right spot again and again while my tattoo moves with each arch of my back.
Me: Those wings are all I look at. The base of my spine begins tingling, and my balls get tighter in my need to come inside you. I reach around and squeeze your nipples, making you spasm around me. I can’t hold back anymore. I come, groaning out your name as those wings move under me before I close my eyes, and my cum is finally inside you.
Mariah: I come a second time, just knowing your cum is filling me, that I have this effect on you. Because those hands are scraping against my breasts, and your dick is making me crazy.
The image is enough to make me spill myself all over my hand, groaning as I slouch back on the couch, rereading the message while my dick empties itself. Putting the phone down, I go into the bathroom to clean myself up. When I come back, the phone vibrates against the coffee table. More relaxed than I’ve been all day, I fall back on the couch and pick it up.
Mariah: Were you cleaning yourself up like me?
A laugh bursts out of me. I love that she has no problem with speaking her mind, even about this.
Me: I sure was. How dirty did you get?
Mariah: Dirty enough that I don’t know how I’m supposed to be patient until the next time we see each other now.
Me: And when will that be? Soon, hopefully.
Mariah: Saturday?
Me: Sure. Bowling and dinner?
Mariah: It’s a date.
I’m getting ready to reply to Mariah’s much tamer text a few days later when the door to my trailer flies open.
“I think you should get out here.” Carlos states, nodding his head towards outside.
Fearing someone’s been hurt, I’m quick to get out of my chair and run out of the trailer. Relief fills me when I see the situation’s not at all what I thought it was, but then it’s quickly replaced with confusion as I walk towards where a man is talking with Stanley. It changes to anger when I hear what he’s talking to him about.
“What the fuck are you doing here, playing construction worker like you don’t know exactly where you belong,” the man says.
“Come on, man.” Stanley gives him a smile, but I can see the uneasiness in it. “I’m just trying to keep my ass outta jail.”
“And in the meantime, you’re fucking with my money.”
The edge to the man’s voice makes Stanley’s forced smile disappear as I reach them.
“Everything okay here?” I ask.
Stanley begins to nod, but the man waves me off. “This isn’t your business.”
“You’re talking to my employee, at my work site, so I would say you made it my business.”
The man’s eyes go from Stanley to me then. I don’t miss the warning in them. I just choose not to heed it.
“This is private property.” I continue. “See yourself off of it.”
“Or what?”
“Xavier. Come on.” Stanley cuts in. “Don’t bring trouble here. This has nothing to do with him.”
“Apparently he wants it to though.”
“If it needs to, then...” I shrug.
Xavier smiles, pure ill intent held within it. “Careful what you ask for.”
“Xavier!” Stanley snaps. “Knock it off. This is where I work. You have no reason to be here.”
Xavier’s head whips around to look at Stanley again. “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to? Something on this piece of shit site must have fallen on your fucking head for you to think I’m gonna let you get away with talking to me like that.”
“Leave. Now.” I demand. “I’m not gonna say it again.”
He licks his lips and slowly nods. “Okay, boss. You got it. It’s not like I won’t see you around anyway, right Stanley?”
I can hear Stanley’s nervous swallow at Xavier’s words.
“Maybe I’ll see you around too, boss man.” Xavier grins while beginning to turn around.
When he reaches his car, he looks over my site before leveling me and Stanley with one last stare. I don’t stop watching him until his car turns at the end of the block.
“You wanna tell me what that was all about?” I ask Stanley.
“Oh, that was nothing, just...” he begins, but I cut my eyes to him, and he falls silent. His eyes cast to the side before he quietly continues. “That’s someone I used to...deal with before I got arrested.”
Deal with. Pretty sure I know exactly what he means, I nod. “Why was he here?”
“He’s been trying to get me to work for him again.” He puts his hands up when I arch a brow. “I’ve been shooting him down, but clearly he’s not taking no for an answer. He came here to remind me of just how much I don’t belong here. Or so he said about ten times before you came over.”
“Hmm. I think he came here to get you in trouble, thinking it might get you fired. And then you’d have no choice but to come back to him.”
“Yeah, that’s probably true too. I’m trying to figure out how he even knew where I would be.”
“The more important thing to try and figure out is how you’re going to avoid him after what just went down here. Me and you both know he isn’t the kind of guy to let being embarrassed go.”
“Kinda hard to avoid what’s right in your house.”
My eyes widen in shock. “What? He lives with you?”
He nods. “My sister’s boyfriend. On and off. Mostly off, but they have kids together, so let’s just say she has an open door policy for him, and he’s there enough that his name should be on the mailbox.”
“Does she know what he does, what he wants you to go back to doing?”
“Yeah. There’s not much she can do about any of it. Don’t think badly of her. She’s taken care of me since I was little. Really, Xavier has too, but when I got old enough, I realized that came with a price. Clearly, he doesn’t feel I’m done paying it.”
“Listen Stan, I can help. That includes finding you somewhere to live, even if you stay with me.”
He’s shaking his head before I even finish speaking. “I’m good. I’m good. I’m saving up to get outta there. I’ll be fine. I stay out of the house as much as I can to avoid Xavier. It’s not for too much longer. But uh, thanks. I appreciate it.
“You’re sure?”
He gives me that all is well even though nothing is well smile, and I know he’s about to make a joke of all this.
“Yeah, man. If you’re asking because you want to go back to sharing a bunk with someone, just say the words.”
I shake my head, a smile coming even if I don’t want it to. “Life isn’t a joke, Stan.”
“I know, but you gotta laugh at it. What other option is there?”
“To change things in your life so you don’t have to keep laughing them away.”
“Well yeah, that too. But uh, I’m not there yet, so I’m gonna keep on laughing. Oh and working.” He puts his hard hat back on. “I was supposed to be helping Carlos put in the windows, so...”
“Go ahead. Just...” I pause, and he stops walking backwards. “I’m here Stan. And I know, I know, you don’t need it, and you’ll joke about it, but just don’t forget it. I’m here, beyond the program, beyond this job. I’m here.”
He smiles, sincerely this time. “I know.”
“Alright. Get outta here.”
He takes off running towards the building, and I head back to the trailer. But not before checking over my shoulder again, looking for Xavier’s car. Because something is telling me that won’t be the last time I see him.
By the time Saturday arrives and I’m standing in front of Mariah’s door, I let all of my worrisome thoughts fade. Just knowing I’m about to see her after what seems like far too long, feels like taking a breath of fresh air. She opens her door in a pair of painted on jeans and a light gray shirt that leaves her shoulders bare. Her smile makes my heart do strange things, getting excited to see her and scared all at once that I’m falling for this woman at lightning speed.
“Hey handsome,” she greets me.
I lean in and kiss her. “I missed you.”
Her eyes light up at my words. She shuts the door behind her and when she walks a little ahead of me down her walkway to my car, I see the tips of those butterfly wings peeking out of her shirt and damn if my dick doesn’t get hard at just the sight of it. After I open her door and get into my seat, I try to discreetly readjustment myself, but her chuckle tells me I’m unsuccessful.
“Saw something you liked, huh?” She smirks.
“Oh, we’re teasing, are we? I’ll remember that when I have my tongue on you later.”
Her swallow is audible as she rubs her thighs together. I have to shake my head to dissuade myself from saying fuck the date and carrying her right inside her house to get her in the bed.
“So, just how badly do you think I’m gonna beat you?” Mariah asks as we set out for the bowling alley. “Single or double digits?”
I laugh. “I must not have told you that my mom loves bowling. We spent many a family night out at a bowling alley. I got this in the bag.”
“Why do I get the feeling your father let her win?”
“You know, now that I think about it, he has never beat her.”
“Well then there you go. Start off our future on the right track and let me win.”
I know she’s joking, but I still smile over at her, at the mention of a future. Our future.
“Tell me what you’re thinking about,” she says low.
“You. Only you.
“I could get used to that.”
“You do that. And...” I pause as we pull into the parking lot. “Get used to losing. Sorry.”
She gasps as I get out of the car. But when I open her door, she gives me a kiss, so I guess I’m forgiven.
While Mariah ties her bowling shoes, I type our names into the monitor. When I look up, I see a sight that has heat of a whole nother variety building in my body. Turns out this must be bowling league night for the town police officers. They take up four lanes at the other end of the bowling alley. Half of their eyes are on me, but my eyes are on the officer I despise the most, Miller.
Miller smirks at me from across the bowling alley, tapping the officer next to him to turn around and look at me as my hand balls into a fist. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my shoulder, and it brings me back to the fact that I’m on a date. I’m here with Mariah, and that’s what I need to focus on. Not that dumb prick over there.
“Is everything okay?” she asks.
I clear my throat and drop my shoulders, never having even noticed they’d bunched up with nerves.
“Yeah, sorry.”
Her eyes go over to where I was looking and narrow. I can’t even stand the thought of them looking at her, them assessing her, trying to figure out what a girl like her is doing with me. I put my hand on her lower back and move her over to where the bowling balls are.
“Come on, so I can get to beating you silly.” I force a chuckle.
Her eyes search my face before she leans in and gives me a quick kiss.
“Poor baby. You actually think you’re going to win.” She grins.
I can almost forget about Miller with Mariah’s laughter and cheers in my ear as she whoops my butt the first round. I don’t even need to let her win.
“Let me hear you say it.” She smiles as she puts her hand behind her ear.
“Mariah is the best bowler to ever live.”
She whoops. “I would have settled for Mariah’s the winner, but I like your wording better.”
“Ready for dinner?”
“Would you mind if we just get food from here and play another game?”
“Whatever you wanna do, is fine with me.”
“Beat you again it is.”
I go to order some burgers and fries from the food counter while Mariah presses the screen to set us up for another game. Even though I try my hardest not to check, I look over towards the last few lanes anyway. And sure enough, the eyes of a few of the officers are on me, some on Mariah. All I can do is shake my head, determined not to let them ruin my date.
“We’ll bring the food over to your lane when it’s ready.” The cashier tells me as I pay.
“Thanks,” I say, then join Mariah again. “Okay, time for me to win back some of my pride.”
Mariah barks out a laugh. “I’ll consider allowing it.”
I don’t win the second game either, but her smile from winning is more than enough to ease my bruised ego.
When we’re done playing and take our shoes back over to the front counter, the same officers are watching us again. I look Miller in the eye while Mariah puts her sneakers back on. As annoying as he is, he can only do so much when I don’t do anything to actually warrant his attention. Still, he smirks again before I begin to walk away.
As we get closer to my car, I have to take a deep breath to keep the anger at bay at seeing an all too familiar site. A ticket on my windshield. It always follows a run in with Miller. It’s closer to the passenger side, and Mariah gets to it before I do. She reads it, her eyebrows scrunching in confusion, before she looks up at me.
“It’s for parking in a handicap spot,” she says, perplexed. “But we’re not even in a handicap spot.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s not the first one I’ve gotten.” I shake my head.
I open her door and see Miller watching me through the doors of the bowling alley when I walk around to the driver’s side. Fucking asshole. Is he really that stuck on me that he left a bowling game to come outside and write me a ticket? Yeah, I guess so, although I’m not surprised.
“I’m confused,” Mariah continues to say as I back out of the parking space.
“You saw the cops that were in the bowling alley?”
She nods.
“I would say half of them arrested me at some point when I was younger. Let’s just say cops in this town have very long memories. The officers in this town haven’t forgotten the mistakes of my youth. And they’re constantly letting me know that I’m not allowed to forget, or move on from it either. And one in particular likes to make my life hard in any way he can.”
She looks down at the ticket. “Miller?” she inquires. “That’s who issued the ticket.”
I nod. “That would be the prick.”
“But can’t you go to court and fight this?”
“I’ve tried in the past, but either I get a judge I’ve been in front of before, and they’re not trying to hear a word I say, or it comes down to my word against the cop’s and guess who wins. It’s easier to just pay the ticket and keep it moving.”
“That’s so fucked up. You’d think they’d be happy that someone got their life together, and is trying to do right.”
“Not in this town. Once a bad apple, always a bad apple, as they told me again and again. He hasn’t bothered me in a while. I had hoped he’d moved the hell on.”
“It’s more than tickets, isn’t it?” She looks over at me.
“Usually just causing problems at my work sites. When I worked for my old boss, he’d come to those sites, making sure anywhere I was, people knew the police were nearby because of me. Like I needed to be watched, which made some people not want the complication of having me be a part of their projects. It was a big part of me getting my own construction company, so I didn’t have to worry about that kind of shit anymore. It’s been a lot over the years. Getting pulled over for nonsense; the list goes on. It’s just something I have to deal with unless I decide to move.”
“It isn’t right. It’s like he wants your life to crumble so he can get the satisfaction of seeing you behind bars. And the craziest part is, where I grew up, there were plenty of people there who needed to be arrested, but the cops never did a damn thing, and here they are, harassing an innocent man for no reason. The world is so fucked up.”
“I couldn’t agree more. Sometimes I tell myself it’s my karma for the way I used to live.”
“Fuck that,” she snaps. “You did your community service and changed your life around. It ends there. Or at least, it should.”
I link my hand with hers and lay them on her knee. “Hey. I’m okay,” I tell her. “It’s just a ticket. I can handle it.”
She looks over at me and gives me a small smile.
“But if you really wanna make me feel better...” I say as we pull up to my apartment.
She arches a brow. “What?”
“We can act out those texts.” I grin over at her.
And we do, and then some. I get to look at that tattoo all night until we both practically collapse on the bed. Yeah, that ticket is long forgotten by the time I close my eyes.
